Chinese word

别看

Pronunciation

Pinyinbié kàn

Meaning

  • conjunctionalthough

Example

别看这本书薄，内容很深。bié kàn zhè běn shū báo nèi róng hěn shēn

Although this book is thin, its content is deep.

Illustration for 别看 (although)

More examples

别看他年纪小，经验却很丰富。bié kàn tā nián jì xiǎo jīng yàn què hěn fēng fù

Although he is young, he has a lot of experience.

Core concept

A first impression is held back from judgment, either as a command not to look or as a lead-in to a contrasting fact.

Common phrases

  • 别看...，其实...bié kàn qí shí

    although ___, in fact ___

  • 别看他年纪小bié kàn tā nián jì xiǎo

    although he is young

Similar words

虽然suī rán: Concedes the truth of one point while leading into an opposing point.
尽管jín guǎn: Concedes an unfavorable condition before stating what happens in spite of it.
但是dàn shì: Marks a direct contrast between the preceding statement and the next one.
可是kě shì: Signals a conversational turn toward a different fact or opinion.

Definition in Chinese

表示让步或转折的口语连词，用于承认表面情况后引出相反或补充说明，常见结构为“别看＋A，B”。biǎo shì ràng bù huò zhuǎn zhé de kóu yǔ lián cí yòng yú chéng rèn biǎo miàn qíng kuàng hòu yǐn chū xiāng fǎn huò bǔ chōng shuō míng cháng jiàn jié gòu wèi bié kàn A B

Word origin

别 (bié, "do not") + 看 (kàn, "look") gives the original command its literal sense, while spoken usage turns that command into a way to acknowledge a surface fact before adding a different one.

Usage tips

  • A pause after the first clause helps separate the concessive use from the literal command, especially in short conversational messages where punctuation supplies important context.

Other meanings

  • refrain from lookingverb

Word lists with this word